Dannagal G. Young

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, is part of a ‘revolution of common sense’ led by President Donald Trump. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

How populist leaders like Trump use ‘common sense’ as an ideological weapon to undermine facts

When common sense is promoted as a virtue, it’s not just to celebrate how regular people understand the world. It promotes a worldview that rejects empirical facts and paves the way for propaganda.

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